The present invention relates to an end face polishing machine and to a method of polishing a rod-shaped member.
For end face polishing machines traditionally used for polishing the end face of ferrules, a machine has been known in which a polishing jig fixed with ferrules is disposed on a rotary and revolutionary polishing plate for polishing. In addition, ferrule polishing has been conducted according to a plurality of steps having different process conditions from a rough surface state to a final finish state.
However, the traditional polishing machine has conducted input control for polishing and polishing conditions by a single machine. Thus, it has been difficult to change the polishing conditions varied from each of a plurality of ferrules and the conditions for each of polishing steps, to adjust conditions according to changes in the number of ferrules and to input data, because of the size of the overall machine and the configuration of indication and input.
Therefore, skilled workers have to manipulate operations of the polishing machine, thereby hindering the production of a wide variety of products.
Traditionally, the correction operation for the polishing conditions takes effort and time because a user stops and manipulates the machine at each event. Errors in correction tend to occur, and yields in products are reduced as well. There have been problems that the user has to stay the position to know the number of products, the kinds of ferrules and the operation status of the polishing machine, and that investigations for causes are not simple when defects are generated in products because correction conditions are not recorded.
In view of the foregoing drawbacks in the conventional art, it is an object of the invention to provide an end face polishing system of ferrules capable of configuring a system for polishing a plurality of various types of ferrules under a plurality of process conditions, shortening input time for the process conditions of polishing steps, storing the process conditions, and structuring a LAN system allowing a plurality of machines to remotely operated.
According to the present invention, a polishing system has a polishing machine and a computer. The polishing machine includes a polishing plate, a pressing part for pressing the end face of a rod-shaped member onto a polishing sheet disposed over the polishing plate, and a pressing force control part for controlling the pressure of the pressing part, and the computer is connected to the polishing machine with a communication line for transmitting pressing force information to the pressing force control part.